According to a recent press release, the Cincinnati Food + Wine Classic was founded in 2014 by Donna Covrett and Courtney Tsitouris to celebrate Cincinnati's Porkopolis and fine dining heritage as a longstanding destination for Midwest food, beer, and spirit excellence. "The inaugural event, located at the doorstep of Music Hall in the historic Washington Park, features local, regional, and national chefs showcasing local flavors through competitions, demos, seminars and parties throughout the community," the press release said.